Elena Marie Dickey Barker

FARMINGTON – Elena M. Dickey Barker, 95, our devoted mother, passed away Friday, May 19, 2023 at her home surrounded by her loving family. The same home that she lived in her entire life.

Elena was born Feb. 7, 1928 and adopted at an early age to Burton and Jennie Dickey. She graduated from Farmington High School and then graduated from Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in Portland in 1947. A caring and extremely dedicated, hard worker, she worked for Franklin Memorial Hospital, did private duty nursing, managed the 82 High Street Complex, co-owner of Barker and Sons Concrete Contractors, and served as a Bail Commissioner for the State of Maine for 37 years. She retired at 94 in December 2022.

She married the love of her life, Lester Barker Jr, in Kingfield on May 24, 1947. They built a large, loving family together where their homestead was the hub of family activities. The family, most who still live less than five miles from each other, would gather for holidays taking up one end of the house to the other. Stopping for a quick visit wasn’t possible as the visitors just kept coming on a daily basis.

Fondly referred to as “Grammie” to all ages from 2 to 82, Elena left a lasting impression on all those that she met. She worked daily to help others – even through her final months she was knitting bags of hats for children in schools, making gift baskets, and gathering donations for the less fortunate. Her generosity and selflessness touched so many lives throughout the years.

Elena enjoyed overnight shopping trips with her girls, boat rides in Belgrade, family vacations at Moosehead, a passion for antiques, canning pickles, gardening, making homemade Kahlua, and seeing her boys stop in for a quick lunch between jobs. Her focus was family and she was so proud of them all. Elena had a meticulous attention to detail and her personalized notes and gifts to family members showed the love she had for us all. Even though we have a large, extended family Elena made each of us feel like we were special, individually taking interest in our lives, goals and supporting each of us.

Survivors are her children, Marjorie Taylor, Cynthia and Roger Kemble, George L. and Sharon Barker, Celia and David Flint, Carole and Merle Sweetser, Joel and Tammy Barker, Cleo Barker and her partner Frank Cushman, and a daughter-in-law Nancy Barker; 19 grandchildren, Marsha, Robert, Faith, Jay, Tom, Chris, Amy, Jamie, Jennifer, Kristy, Kimberly, Sarah, Matthew, Melanie, Jacob, Erin, Ryan, and Robert; 32 great-grandchildren; nine great-great-grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her husband, Lester in 2008; her son, Donn in 2007, a son-in-law, Bobby Taylor in 2002; and a grandchild, Amanda Sweetser in 2011.

A public memorial service will be held at the Fairbanks Union Church on Monday, June 5 at 1 p.m. with visiting hours prior to the service from 12 to 1 p.m. Following the service, there will be a gathering at the Farmington Elks Lodge from 2 to 4 p.m. Internment will take place at the Fairview Cemetery in Farmington with immediate family later that week.

The family would like to thank Androscoggin Home Healthcare and Hospice, including nurses, Amanda, James, Baily, for their exceptional care at the end of her life.

Arrangements are under the direction of Dan and Scott’s Cremation and Funeral Services, 488 Farmington Falls Rd., Farmington.

Memories may be shared at http://www.dsfuneral.com.

Should you desire, in lieu of flowers, and wish to make a donation in Elena’s memory to Fairbanks Church,

c/o Nancy Pond, Collector,

P.O. Box 206

Farmington, ME 04938 or

Lester Barker Memorial Scholarship Fund,

P.O. Box 505,

Farmington, ME 04938